Blueberry Crumb Cake
Tender, moist, and packed with real blueberry flavor, this blueberry crumb cake is the perfect treat for any occasion! A soft and buttery vanilla cake base is topped with a lemon-scented blueberry layer that gets nice and jammy in the oven. The crumble topping becomes golden and crunchy once baked, yielding a nice textural contrast to the soft cake. Each bite is packed with fresh juicy blueberry flavor, moist vanilla cake, and crunchy crumble making this crumb cake a crowd-pleasing dessert.
I love it when blueberries come into season. These little berries bring me so much joy! Over the years, I have been inspired by them and created so many recipes like these Blueberry Crumb Bars, Blueberry Hand Pies, Blueberry Thyme Galette, and these Blueberry Lemon Sweet Rolls.
I can’t get enough of blueberries, and I prefer to use fresh ones in my recipes instead of frozen. If you need to use frozen, they can work with this recipe. I give the quantity to use and the extra baking time in the recipe notes.
The recipe has been tested with both fresh and frozen blueberries, and the flavor and texture of the cake made with fresh blueberries are preferred.
This cake reminds me of a coffee cake with its crumb topping. The cake is buttery and very moist. Then there’s this thick jammy layer that’s fun to bite into.
If you love summer berries as much as I do, you can use your favorite berries in this recipe. Use an equal amount of fresh blackberries or raspberries in place of the blueberries. They’ll all make a great jam layer in this crumb cake.
My favorite part is the crumb topping. It’s sweet cinnamon bites that get golden brown and crunchy during the baking process. It’s perfect with the jam filling. If you love cake with texture, then every bite of this crumb cake is going to be amazing!
This cake is easy enough to make on weeknights or to whip up for a summer BBQ. It’s the kind of cake that everyone loves and goes for second servings of!
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- ground cinnamon
- unsalted butter
- fresh blueberries
- a medium lemon
- a few large eggs
- vanilla extract
- baking powder
- sea salt
- plain whole milk yogurt
How to Make Blueberry Crumb Cake
Preheat the oven and grease a square baking pan, then line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang. This will help with removing the cake once it’s baked.
To make the crumb topping, mix the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.
Add the melted butter and mix until the mixture is crumbly. Place the crumb mixture in the fridge to chill while you complete the next few steps.
Make the blueberry layer next. Add the blueberries, flour, and sugar to a medium-sized bowl. Zest the lemon, then add it to the bowl along with a tablespoon of the juice. Toss everything together until the blueberries are evenly coated in the flour and sugar. Set aside.
Make the cake. Add the unsalted butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat together on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. This will take a few minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Once all of the eggs have been added, mix in the vanilla extract. At this point, it might look like the mixture has split, but this is completely fine! It will come together when the dry ingredients and yogurt are added.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium sized bowl and whisk together.
Then, add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low to medium low until mostly combined, then add the yogurt.
Mix until mostly combined, then scrape down the bowl and add the remainder of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined and there are no longer any visible streaks of flour. The batter should be thick and relatively smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly into a layer with an offset spatula.
Scatter the blueberry mixture evenly over the batter.
Remove the crumble mixture from the fridge, break it up with your fingers, then scatter it evenly over the berries.
Bake the cake for about an hour, or until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean and the center of the cake is puffed up and set, not wobbly.
Place the pan on a wire rack.
Cool the cake for about 30 minutes, then run a palette knife around the edges and use the parchment paper to gently remove the cake.
Place the cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing it into 9 equal squares and serving.
How to Store
Place leftover slices of cake in an airtight container. They will keep 1-2 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge.
More Blueberry Recipes
- Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Blueberry Peach Crumble
- Blueberry Crumble
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Brown Butter Blueberry Lemon Loaf
What do you think of this amazing blueberry cake recipe? What would you serve with a slice of this crumb cake? Let me know in the comment section below.
If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!
Happy baking, friends!
Blueberry Crumb Cake Recipe
Blueberry Crumb Cake
Tender, moist, and packed with real blueberry flavor, this blueberry crumb cake is the perfect treat for any occasion! A soft and buttery vanilla cake base is topped with a lemon-scented blueberry layer that gets nice and jammy in the oven.
Ingredients
For the crumb topping:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the blueberry layer:
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 medium lemon
For the cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup plain whole milk yogurt, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan then line with parchment paper leaving an overhang. This will help with the removal of the cake once it’s baked.
- Make the crumb topping by mixing together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, sea salt, and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until crumbly. Place the crumb mixture in the fridge to chill while you complete the next few steps.
- Make the blueberry layer next. Add the blueberries, flour, and sugar to a medium sized bowl. Zest the lemon then add it to the bowl along with 1 tablespoon of the juice. Toss everything together until the blueberries are evenly coated in the flour and sugar. Set aside.
- Make the cake. Add the unsalted butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat together on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Once all of the eggs have been added, mix in the vanilla extract. At this point it might look like the mixture has split but this is completely fine! It will come together when the dry ingredients and yogurt are added.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium sized bowl and whisk together. Then, add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low to medium low until mostly combined, then add the yogurt. Mix until mostly combined, then scrape down the bowl and add the remainder of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined and there are no longer any visible streaks of flour. The batter should be thick and relatively smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with an offset spatula. Scatter the blueberry mixture evenly over the batter. Remove the crumble mixture from the fridge, break it up with your fingers, then scatter it evenly over the berries. Bake the cake for 55-65 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean and the middle of the cake is puffed up and set (not wobbly).
- Place the pan on a wire rack. Cool the cake for 30 minutes, then run a palette knife around the edges and use the parchment paper to remove the cake. Place the cake on a wire rack and cool completely before slicing into 9 equal squares and serving.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Use plain whole milk yogurt, NOT Greek style yogurt as itwill make the batter a bit too thick. You can use buttermilk in place of theyogurt if you prefer for very similar results.
The 8-inch pan used for testing is 2.25 inches deep andthis cake needs every bit of it. If your 8-inch pan is more shallow, Irecommend making this cake in either a 9-inch square pan or a 9-inch springformpan. You’ll need to reduce the baking time and start checking for donenessaround 40-45 minutes.
Recipe Tips
While the temptation may be strong to cut a slice of warm cake, I highly recommend allowing it to cool fully first. This allows the cake to set and yields a softer crumb.
Since every oven bakes differently, look for these key indicators to know when your cake is done: the middle of the cake is set (not wobbly) and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean (i.e. it doesn’t have any cake crumbs on it though it may have some of the blueberry juices on it).
Make sure you allow the butter, eggs, and yogurt to come to room temperature before using them in the recipe for the best results. It will take butter about 2-3 hours (depending on the temperature of your kitchen) while the eggs and yogurt just need 30-60 minutes.
FAQs
If you need to use frozen they can work with this recipe. Use 2 cups of frozen berries and bake for an extra 10 minutes because of the added moisture. I tested the recipe with both fresh and frozen blueberries and preferred the flavor and texture of the cake made with fresh blueberries.
Can I make this crumble cake with different berries? Yes, you can use an equal amount of fresh blackberries or raspberries in place of the blueberries.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 568Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 264mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 2gSugar: 38gProtein: 7g